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Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light (Post-War)
|country = |period = 1944 - 1965|issued = |manufacturer = Avon Rubber, L&B Rubber}}The Lightweight Mk III, officially named the "Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light Mk III", is the third and final generation of Lightweight Respirators used by the British Armed Forces during the Second World War and beyond. The first examples of the Mk III masks were seen during 1944 and had drastically improved a lot of the flaws surrounding the previous two masks including the diaphragm, faceblank, filter and later even the lens construction. Design Facepiece The Lightweight Mk III saw significant changes from it's predecessor. Firstly, and most obviously, the diaphragm of the mask has been replaced. The Mk IIs featured a recessed centre on a fairly flat diaphragm which was then replaced with a bossed central part with an outer thread. The diaphragm also features a plastic membrane to improve speech quality. The second change is the total amount of rubber used on the faceblank itself. The original Mk IIIs from the Second World War were roughly equally as thick as the Mk IIIs but after the war, the faceblanks became a lot thinner and thus a lot more flexible. This make them a lot easier to adjust and seems to create a much better seal as well. The final change was the head-harness. As well as the use of Mk II faceblanks in the WWII period Light Mk III masks, the Mk IIIs originally used the standard Light Mk I and II style harness though this was later replaced with something resembling that of the S6 strap. There were several variants aside from this including a slightly finer but more elasticated black strap (usually seen on 1956 models) and an even finer version which was likely something made by the Danish to replace broken WWII period straps. Filter During the Second World War, Lightweight Mk IIIs were issued standard MKII canisters. At an unknown date, most likely post war, these filters were replaced with the signature tiny Light Mk III or L3 canisters. Kit & Post-War Changes Lightweight Mk IIIs were issued with the same kit as seen and described on the Light Mk II page. This kit includes a set of instructions, Anti-Gas Ointment, Anti-Dimming Cloth, Anti-Gas Goggles, Cotton Waste the Light Mk II filter and the standard Light II carrier. Following the war, it is possible that some of the older additions to the kit were removed leaving only the Mask, Filter, Carrier and likely a tin of Outfit, Anti-Dimming, Mk VII as opposed to the Mk VI cloth used in both the Civilian C6 and Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light kits. Diaphragm Mic Adapter Myth Popular assumption is that the diaphragm could accept a special microphone adapter, not unlike the clansman mic on masks such as the S6 or S10. This is merely a theory and no such use has even been discovered nor photographed though the No. 7 type Microphone is somewhat compatible though there is no thread. It is more than likely that the thread is merely a result on an internal thread holding the diaphragm together or if not, something that was added in preparation for an experimental No. 7 mic modification which was never completed. Changes Following WWII The Mk III underwent a few changes over the years since it first saw service in 1944. Firstly, as explained before, the Mk III masks have seen a great deal of straps from the WWII style to the 3 common variants following the war. It seems that the first harness to be used following the war would have been the black and slightly more-so elasticated type strap which is usually marked with a pre-1960s date. The strap resembling that of the S6 mask is usually dated post-1960. It is assumed that this is the designation for the harness but this has not been confirmed. Aside from this, changes were made to the lenses and diaphragm. The diaphragm originally used the same paint as the Mk IIs during the war but was later changed around 1956 to an all black paint. This paint was also applied to the intake housing and the new lens holders which were different in that they did not have the 4 tabs to allow the lenses to be removed. These are very similar to the lenses used on the earlier Mk III GSR. History and Use Second World War The first and second generations of Lightweight Respirators were a significant advantage for British, Canadian and Australian Armed Forces but change was needed. There were issues with the Mk II mask including poor speech quality, fairly high resistance to exhaling, a fit that could be improved and some soldiers were even suffering from rashes from the rubber construction. The Mk II rubber construction was changed for masks marked "Mk IIA" to be issued to soldiers with sensitive skin or other conditions. This followed suit for the new Mk III series. Initially, Mk II faceblanks were fitted with the new Mk III diaphragm and equipped with the same kit. This was still a significant improvement as it allowed for greater ease of breathing due to a greater number of holes in the diaphragm and also a significant improvement to speech quality. This initially saw service in the second quarter of 1944 but was best known for being carried, similarly to the American M5 Assault Mask, on the beaches of Normandy during the June 1944 D-Day Landings. Post war The mask continued to be issued to British soldiers up until at least 1966 when the Service Respirator No. 6 or S6 was introduced following a new Porton Down design. The Mk III was initially revised with new, lighter faceblanks and later, the rest of the changes described above were implemented over time. The most significant change would be the change to the lenses and paint. This was originally thought to have been in 1957 but two earlier models suggest that this change actually occurred in 1956. According to a former member of the British Fire & Rescue Service, the Mk III GD 8 config masks were actually used with them well into the 80s though it is unclear whether or not this was used for training purposes. As with the Mk IIs, the Mk III masks were exported to Denmark to be used with their Civil Defence M/45 kits. Finding these masks, however is a lot more tricky than finding Mk IIs in M/45 kits. The masks were also exported during the 50s with the most common face-piece, though most of the ones found on the surplus market are British surplus. For unknown reasons, the Danish seem to have attempted to replicate the Mk III style mask with new lenses, a slight variation in the diaphragm, poor quality head-harnesses, rubber bands replacing the standard tape and a uniform dark-grey paint on all parts. These masks seem to have been issued with Mk III Lightweight Canisters.